ME = Moderately Easy
M = Medium
MD = Moderately Difficult
D = Difficult
Choral Works
Even a Fist Was Once an Open Palm (Yehuda Amichai)
SATB a cappella - SEA-026-01 - $3.50/copy7 minutes - D Winner of the Craig and Janet Swan Composer Prize 2002
Recipient of Top Honors in the International Waging Peace through Singing Project "Several pieces stand out among those collected here, but her setting of poet Yehuda Amichai's "Even a Fist was Once an Open Palm" is particularly potent and makes one sit up and take notice. -David N. Lewis, All Music Guide
A powerful setting of Israeli poet Yehuda Amichai's plea for peace, excerpted from his poem "Anniversaries of War." The song opens with delicately layered humming, creating a counterpoint of emerging syllables which gradually evolves into the word "remember." The contrapuntal texture of this piece is reminiscent of Renaissance choral music, with a rich, chromatically modal palette capable of suggesting, pain, longing and hope.
The voice parts in this piece interact with one another on a deep level, calling for an ensemble with a strong sense of pitch, dynamic range, and musical maturity. Soprano: e' -g" , Alto: b-d" , Tenor: g-f ', Bass: (D)F-e'
To view the score, click here
To hear a recording, click here
(MP3, 1.6 MB, sung by University of Minnesota Chamber Singers ~ Thomas Lancaster, conductor) A recording of this
piece is now available
on the CD:
Finally On My Way To Yes
(MP3, 1.6 MB, sung by University of Minnesota Chamber Singers ~ Thomas Lancaster, conductor) A recording of this
piece is now available
on the CD:
Finally On My Way To Yes
Even a Fist Was Once an Open Palm
Excerpt from "Anniversaries of War"
Remember: even the departure to terrible battles
passes by gardens and windows
and children playing, a dog barking.
Remind the fallen fruit
of its leaves and branches,
remind the sharp thorns
how soft and green they were in springtime,
and do not forget,
even a fist
was once an open palm and fingers.
Translated by Barbara and Benjamin Harshav. Reprinted by permission of Hana Amichai.
Excerpt from "Anniversaries of War"
Remember: even the departure to terrible battles
passes by gardens and windows
and children playing, a dog barking.
Remind the fallen fruit
of its leaves and branches,
remind the sharp thorns
how soft and green they were in springtime,
and do not forget,
even a fist
was once an open palm and fingers.
Translated by Barbara and Benjamin Harshav. Reprinted by permission of Hana Amichai.
View and play the score
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